Barefoot and ulcer prevention diet

[JCW]

Merry Christmas everyone.

Just wanted opinions on my horse's diet in view of him recently going barefoot.

He is currently fed adlib haylage (which is very dry and just like hay), speedi beet, alpha a oil, top spec comprehensive balancer, top spec cool conditioning cubes and micronised linseed. He is not a good doer however is looking pretty good at the moment. I was considering changing the balancer to pro hoof supplement that I have read about on this forum.

Also although I don't think that my horse has ulcers, I do not want to feed a diet that could encourage them i.e. Prevention is better than cure.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Frozen Hoof Boots]

I would personally change the conditioning cubes as prob high starch and sugar and if ur horse is a good doer and barefoot (like mine) I would personally avoid it as devil for ulcers and feet. Change to d&h or Spillers high fibre nuts or fast fibre. I would try the forage plus winter balancer. I had v good results with that rather than prohoof.

 

[JCW]

Okay. Thank you. He is not a good doer unfortunately, however I take on board what you say about the conditioning cubes.

 

[toomanyhorses26]

my horse isn't a great doer and I had always said he needed this and that but he has come back from rehab on sugar beet,alfalfa cubes,crushed oats and linseed with his minerals and looks awesome - its quite large quantities (whole scopp of sugar beet morning and evening etc ) but it seems to b working

 

[Frozen Hoof Boots]

Sorry misread the not a good doer bit. However I would say last year my horse had pyloric ulcers, he was a very poor doer then.
This year however has been a different story since I changed his diet after the ulcer issues. If he looks poor I up his Micronised linseed. He really does look amazing and is holding his weight. For me though it's forage based diet all the way. Fast fibre, small amount of Coolstance, FP winter balancer, yea sacc, Linseed, handful of readigrass. People comment all the time that he looks v shiny and looks well without being overweight.

 

[JCW]

Thanks for the attached. I will look into the fp winter balancer and replace the conditioning cubes with either fast fibre or maybe even oats as suggested by toomanyhorses! The yea sacc I assume you feed because of the ulcer issues or would you feed that anyway? Thanks

 

[Buddy'sMum]

I would personally change the conditioning cubes as prob high starch and sugar and if ur horse is a good doer and barefoot (like mine) I would personally avoid it as devil for ulcers and feet. Change to d&h or Spillers high fibre nuts or fast fibre.

Actually, TopSpec Cool Condition Cubes have lower starch + sugar levels (less than 10%) than Spillers HIgh Fibre Cubes (10% starch + 4.5% sugar).

OP, if you're concerned about starch levels - oats are more than 40% starch!

 

[JCW]

Thanks for that. No point in changing then if I would actually be increasing starch and sugar!

 

[Frozen Hoof Boots]

Thanks for the attached. I will look into the fp winter balancer and replace the conditioning cubes with either fast fibre or maybe even oats as suggested by toomanyhorses! The yea sacc I assume you feed because of the ulcer issues or would you feed that anyway? Thanks

Yea sacc good for gut digestion, absorption of nutrients and upsets.

Personally I feed fast fibre and only1/3 scoop twice a day. It's there in the diet as small amount to mix the FP winter balancer in. Not for any reason other than that.

Actually, TopSpec Cool Condition Cubes have lower starch + sugar levels (less than 10%) than Spillers HIgh Fibre Cubes (10% starch + 4.5% sugar).

Other barefooters have recommended Spillers High Fibre nuts on this forum as an alternative if your horse hates FF. Top Spec has shown to make some footy.